The Immortals
TITLE: The Immortals
AUTHOR: kirstielovely
PAIRING: Merlin/Arthur some flirting Merlin/Jack
RATING: PG probably.
SUMMARY: Merlin and Jack Harkness arrange to meet up twenty-ish years because they're lonely.
WARNINGS: a bit of angst, hurt/comfort.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin, Torchwood or Doctor Who :3
AUTHORS NOTE: I wrote this ages ago, and never really got 'round to posting it. Hope you enjoy. OH, also. This was written before Children of Earth, so everything that happened in that, didn't happen here XD
1882
His lungs burned for air as he is resurrected once again, gasping and choking back mouthfuls of the wanted oxygen. It had been a quick death; bullet wound to the head. Luckily there hadn’t been many people to witness it, and even less to watch him come back to life. It was always complicated to explain to someone that you were immortal.
It was a harsh winter of 1882 and it had just begun to rain. It spat down on his face and Jack sighed disappointedly. Rain just brought a depressing mood to Cardiff. He sat up and looked around and was startled to see a figure in the shadows, watching him. Had he seen him wake up? Had he seen his death?
“I… er…” Jack fumbled for words, “Don’t see that everyday, do ya?”
The shadowed man stepped forward to reveal someone that only looked in his early twenties. His hair was a dark brown - perhaps black - with harsh blue eyes and bony jaw line. Jack could see the man was skinnier than most. One of those men that could eat as much as they wanted but would never gain any weight. Jack frowned and got to his feet, but didn’t approach the boy.
“That’s… interesting,” The voice cut out over the silence and Jack stared at him in confusion. A smirk slowly appeared over the stranger’s face before he turned and walked out of the alleyway; leaving Jack standing in a pool of his own blood.
*
He quickly forgot about the odd bloke. If he went to the police to report that he had witnessed a man coming back to life they would never believe him. No one would ever believe that.
It had been two weeks and Jack was sitting in the tavern taking a swig of ale, slowly but surely getting a little bit tipsy. He heard the scrape of a chair neck to him being occupied but didn’t turn his head. It was never Jack’s thing to mingle with other people.
Jack downed the last of his drink and pushed it forward to the barman.
“’nother one, sir?” The man asked.
He nodded mutely.
“I’ll pay for this one if you like,” Quipped a familiar voice. Jack’s brow furrowed to place it and turned to look at the speaker. His eyes widened at the man he saw.
“You.”
The raven haired boy flashed him a cheeky grin and then turned to the barman, “I’ll have what this man’s having, thanks.”
Two large glasses slid towards them but Jack doesn’t take one.
“What exactly do you want? Are you following me?”
The man spluttered into his drink, laughing a little hysterically.
“Do I really look like the stalker type? I was always told I looked like a dolt. Although when I saw you a couple of weeks back come back to life… I just had to talk to you.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, “Look, I know you’re interested, but I’d really rather not talk about it.” He stared off into the distance darkly, “It’s frankly none of your business. Stop following me, kid, and we’ll never talk of this again.”
He stood and walked out the door, leaving the poor big-eared sod to pay for the drinks.
*
1883
Four weeks later and it was 1883 and Jack was just coming back from the darkness of death. He felt the rush of air down his throat and the same shooting pain of before he died. Stupid stab wound. He really shouldn’t make enemies around here; it was never good.
There was a hand rubbing up and down his back and Jack jumped up suddenly. No one was ever there for him after he woke up.
He turned his head and was hardly surprised to see that skinny boy there, concern painted across his face.
He expression grew cold, “Will you stop it?”
The boy looked slightly hurt, “Someone should be with you when you come to life again,” he said carefully, eyes glancing up through his lashes to watch Jack’s incredulous expression, “That stab looked pretty painful.”
“Why are you following me?!” He snarled, grabbing the stranger by the shoulders and pushing him into the wall. If it had been a few years ago, before the Doctor and before Rose, he would’ve loved to be followed by someone so young and handsome, albeit slightly gawky. Jack had turned into a cold and angry man after he had been abandoned and given this stupid ‘gift’.
The boy slumped his shoulders as if he’s given up a fight and looked up to meet Jack’s eyes, “You can’t die.”
“I think we’ve gathered that, you idiot.”
A sad smile spread across his features for a few seconds, then he slumped again, “You can’t die.” He repeated, more forcefully, “And neither can I.”
*
This time Jack bought the drinks. He wanted to know everything. Every little detail of this stranger’s life. Never had Jack met someone like him before.
“Okay let’s start from the beginning,” Jack muttered, “I’m Captain Jack Harkness. Who’re you?”
“Merlin.” He extended a hand and Jack shook it. That goofy grin was back.
“Merlin the magician,” Jack mused, remembering the old tales of Camelot and King Arthur.
Merlin pulled back and shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, “That’s me. Merlin the magician. The idiot of Camelot. Manservant to Prince Arthur. Court Magician to King Arthur.” He turned to watch Jack’s expression again.
“You are shitting me.” Jack muttered, sitting back in his seat, “You’re not actually… him?”
“’fraid so, Captain.”
Jack remembered the pictures and drawings of Merlin, “But… aren’t you some old guy with a bear who looks like a paedophile?”
Merlin raised an eyebrow, “Funny how warped the legend gets as the years go on. I blame Geoffrey for that. I bet Arthur would have a good old laugh at the drawings of me. He’d probably be wetting himself.”
The ex-timeagent shook his head to try and think straight, “Hang on. Hang on, wait a minute… but I thought Merlin was like… a legend? Not actually real? I mean… magic can’t be real?”
The boy looked around to make sure no one was looking, and then focused on the glass in front of him. In a flash, Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and the glass started to levitate upwards. He quickly lowered it again, just in case someone had been watching, and turned to Jack.
“As you can see, that was totally real. No strings attached, literally.”
“Now I’ve seen everything. As soon as I get back to the Doctor, punch him in the face a few times, I am definitely going back in time to see Camelot.”
“Back in time?”
“We have a lot to discuss, Merlin.”
*
The two of them spent the whole evening talking of their past. Merlin skipped out a lot of his relationship with Arthur, but Jack could see past the lies. His eyes went sad and faraway when Merlin began to talk of the King, a recognisable look that Jack often saw in himself a lot of the time. However, Jack didn’t press for answers, as he knew from experience that it was a sore subject.
“-and so after a few years it was clear that I wasn’t aging. At first I thought it was brilliant, y’know? I will spend my life with Arthur and Camelot and we’ll be happy, but I didn’t think of after Arthur…” Merlin paused and swallowed, “…died.” He carried on, ignoring the look of pity on Jack’s face, “I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. Everyone I loved had died. The whole earth moved on while I stood still.”
Jack nodded. He knew exactly how Merlin felt.
“Through everything, I wouldn’t die. Fatal wounds would kill me and then I was brought back to life. I had to move across the world to make sure people wouldn’t notice that I wasn’t aging. It’s been hundreds of years, and I want to know why I’m like this.”
They were on their third pint and they had gotten through how Jack was immortal, explaining about the Doctor and the time travelling and the abandonment. He explained how he was from the 51st century and how aliens were real (after much convincing) and he had no idea why he was immortal.
“Legend has it,” Jack said, resting a head on his hand, “that when the country needs it, King Arthur will rise again. May just be a myth, but it’s something, isn’t it?”
Merlin nodded and sighed, “Might be a myth, but if he doesn’t come back I will personally drag him out of Avalon and kill him all over again.”
“That’s the spirit!”
By the end of the night, Merlin was laughing and Jack’s sombre mood had risen remarkably.
“Here’s a deal,” Merlin’s slurred voice rang into the winter night, “We meet up every few years or something and talk, yeah?”
“Cardiff?” Jack asked, trying to keep the very drunken man up.
“Yeah… yeah wh’rever.” He yawned and leaned on his shoulders, “See ya in twenny years or summet.”
Jack frowned as the boy suddenly disappeared and he fell to the cold ground.
*
1902
Jack sat at the same stool as he did twenty years ago and waited. And waited. And waited.
Merlin doesn’t come that cold January night.
*
1907
When Jack entered the pub he saw Merlin immediately. He was nursing a glass of ale and hardly looked up as Jack sat next to him.
“You’re a bastard of a liar,” Jack smirked as he ordered a pint, “You said twenty years. It’s been twenty-five yer know.”
Merlin shrugged and looked over and Jack, scrutinizing his appearance, “You’ve lost your sideburns.” He commented.
The ex-timeagent grinned at him and rested an elbow on the desk and put his head on his hand, watching Merlin, “Yeah well, I think people prefer me without the sideburns.” He leant closer, “What do you think of it?”
The boy jerked away and stared at him, “Are you… hitting on me?!”
Jack laughed, “I hit on anything, kid. You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve taken to bed before. Once there was a-“
“Shut up!” Merlin cried, covering his ears, “I don’t want to hear about your sex life!”
The pub quietened and heads turned to look at him. Merlin’s ears reddened in embarrassment and he turned away from the amused glances that were being shot at him. Jack gave out a loud laugh and patted the warlock on the shoulder.
“Smooth, Merlin. Real smooth.”
“Anyway,” Merlin continued, taking a deep breath, “What’s happened since 1883?”
Jack snorted, “Got a job.”
“We all get jobs.”
“I got a different job, I mean. I don’t think I should be telling you this, but apparently you’re an idiot so I trust you enough. It’s called Torchwood.”
“Torchwood?” Merlin asked sceptically.
Jack smiled, “It’s all about aliens and that shit. We catch aliens and lock them up or whatever. It’s a dangerous job. I don’t think you’d like it.”
“I wasn’t planning on joining, Jack.”
During the night they drink, Jack flirts shamelessly with Merlin and they talk of the past.
“So there we were, Arthur holding a spear in one hand and trying to stab at this beast with all these tentacles and there’s me on the opposite side of the lake chanting all these magical words. When Arthur found out that it was me who had killed the beast, Arthur was furious,” Merlin stops for effect, “Not because I was using magic against it, but because I stole his thunder!”
Jack laughed and shook his head, “I would’ve loved to meet this Arthur bloke. He sounds like a right laugh.”
For a moment Merlin’s eyes go all dreamy and Jack has to crack a joke just to break the atmosphere.
“I bet he would be up for a good ole threesome, eh?” Jack nudged Merlin with his elbow and Merlin hit him. Hard.
“Ooh that was out of order, magic boy! You’re just jealous that I can get a threesome and you can’t!”
Merlin smiled and his sad mood was broken once again.
1937
Jack wasn’t looking forward to the Second World War. He had already been there before and didn’t like to remember that that was the when he met the Doctor and Rose. He poured some whisky into a glass and drank it in one go, wincing at the sharp flavour.
“You’re drinking early, Harkness.” Came a voice and Jack turned to see Merlin take a seat next to him.
“Ah, magic boy. Just the person I want to talk to.”
“Why’s that then?” Merlin asked, pouring himself some whisky and gulping it down.
“I wanted to talk to you about how I managed to snag a threesome last week and I thought of you and our discussion last time.”
“I hope you weren’t thinking of me whilst you were doing it.”
Jack winked.
“So how’d you find the stupid son of a bitch war?” Merlin asked after a while, shuddering at the memory.
Jack shrugged, “I was expecting it. I’ve been to the future and I know exactly what will happen and when it will happen. It’s not a great life, but at least I know I’ll live through it. Anyway how did you cope? Go to fight?”
“Managed to use my magic to stop a bomb from detonating. Would’ve been messy if it had,” Merlin turned to him, “Will there be more wars like that? I mean, me and Arthur have been to loads of battles but…” Merlin swallowed, “Nothing like that before. Nothing so…”
“Gruesome?”
“It wasn’t fair play. They threw bombs down to innocent civilians when they should’ve been targeting the warriors. And…” Merlin cut off and shook his head, “I thought that the war was so bad that Arthur would…” He gulped back more whisky and didn’t finish his sentence, although Jack could guess the ending. Merlin had thought Arthur would come back to save them.
Jack put a supportive hand on the warlock and they sat in silence once again.
1962
When Jack saw Merlin, he was surprised at how much he’d changed. It wasn’t exactly his physical appearance, but Jack could see how tired he was. Bags hung dark like bruises underneath his eyes and his hair was ruffled and un-brushed. Merlin’s skin was grimy as if he hadn’t washed in years and his eyes were older than the rest of his body, carrying so much history in them.
Jack decided to take his normal approach, “You look shit.”
Merlin didn’t reply; just sat next to him and drunk himself into despair.
They hardly talked that night. There were a few remarks but nothing interesting. When Jack finally managed to ask what was wrong, Merlin just said one word.
“Arthur.”
“You really did love him, didn’t you?”
Merlin doesn’t reply, but looked up with watery eyes. Jack has always been bad at comforting, but he managed to envelope the lonely boy into his arms and let him cry. Jack knew that Merlin hadn’t cried since Arthur’s death, just by the ferocity of his racked sobs and the way he clung to Jack’s shirt, seeking the comfort he had needed for so long.
1984
Merlin looked much better when Jack saw him next. He didn’t look perfect, but he looked as if he’d pulled himself together.
“Don’t you just love the eighties, Merlin?” Jack grinned, looking at the retro style everyone was wearing. For Jack, he just wore his typical jacket which he loved so dearly, and his breeches that he seemed to never take off.
“They’re…” Merlin waved his arm around, “Different.”
They spoke very little. Jack loved the eighties. It hadn’t escaped his mind that in a few years Rose Tyler would be born. He promised himself that he would go to her estate and watch her growing up. He missed his Rosie so much that it hurt to think about her, just like the Doctor. One day he’ll see her again.
Merlin spoke with a chirp in his voice and Jack could see that he was truly happy at that moment. Of course, Merlin would never get over Arthur (they were one side of a different coin or something…) but at least he could enjoy himself while he awaited his return.
2009
So much had happened since Jack last saw Merlin. For one; he was now in charge of Torchwood three and had recruited new people (among them the very handsome Ianto Jones…). Two years ago he had first met the Doctor again. He somehow wished he hadn’t, considering the Master had tortured him for an entire year, although he did meet Martha Jones, but was heartbroken that Rose was in a parallel universe.
But then last year Rose had returned. The Doctor had gotten yet another new companion and the whole Earth had shifted. He wondered what Merlin would think about all this information he was bursting to tell him.
But Merlin didn’t arrive. Jack waited for hours for his immortal drinking buddy, but no one arrived.
2015
It became clear to Jack when he was waiting in the pub again for Merlin that Arthur had come for him. Jack tried to think nothing of it and return to his work in Torchwood.
2019
Jack saw Merlin for the final time in the Roald Dahl Plass on a bright summer afternoon. He was with a blond man, whom Jack presumed was Arthur. They had their arms linked and were both smiling like goons. He could hear the kind insults of “You’re such a prat!”to “And you’re an idiot!” and Jack smiled to himself.
Merlin’s face had definitely changed since he last saw him. He had lines etched into his forehead and was more… masculine… than before. It was obvious that Merlin had begun to age as soon as Arthur had come back.
It hurt to think that his drinking buddy was no longer immortal like him, but he was happy for Merlin. He didn’t have to live his life drowned in loneliness and longing anymore. He had Arthur, who he could love and be loved in return.
At least someone got a happy ending.
AUTHOR: kirstielovely
PAIRING: Merlin/Arthur some flirting Merlin/Jack
RATING: PG probably.
SUMMARY: Merlin and Jack Harkness arrange to meet up twenty-ish years because they're lonely.
WARNINGS: a bit of angst, hurt/comfort.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin, Torchwood or Doctor Who :3
AUTHORS NOTE: I wrote this ages ago, and never really got 'round to posting it. Hope you enjoy. OH, also. This was written before Children of Earth, so everything that happened in that, didn't happen here XD
1882
His lungs burned for air as he is resurrected once again, gasping and choking back mouthfuls of the wanted oxygen. It had been a quick death; bullet wound to the head. Luckily there hadn’t been many people to witness it, and even less to watch him come back to life. It was always complicated to explain to someone that you were immortal.
It was a harsh winter of 1882 and it had just begun to rain. It spat down on his face and Jack sighed disappointedly. Rain just brought a depressing mood to Cardiff. He sat up and looked around and was startled to see a figure in the shadows, watching him. Had he seen him wake up? Had he seen his death?
“I… er…” Jack fumbled for words, “Don’t see that everyday, do ya?”
The shadowed man stepped forward to reveal someone that only looked in his early twenties. His hair was a dark brown - perhaps black - with harsh blue eyes and bony jaw line. Jack could see the man was skinnier than most. One of those men that could eat as much as they wanted but would never gain any weight. Jack frowned and got to his feet, but didn’t approach the boy.
“That’s… interesting,” The voice cut out over the silence and Jack stared at him in confusion. A smirk slowly appeared over the stranger’s face before he turned and walked out of the alleyway; leaving Jack standing in a pool of his own blood.
*
He quickly forgot about the odd bloke. If he went to the police to report that he had witnessed a man coming back to life they would never believe him. No one would ever believe that.
It had been two weeks and Jack was sitting in the tavern taking a swig of ale, slowly but surely getting a little bit tipsy. He heard the scrape of a chair neck to him being occupied but didn’t turn his head. It was never Jack’s thing to mingle with other people.
Jack downed the last of his drink and pushed it forward to the barman.
“’nother one, sir?” The man asked.
He nodded mutely.
“I’ll pay for this one if you like,” Quipped a familiar voice. Jack’s brow furrowed to place it and turned to look at the speaker. His eyes widened at the man he saw.
“You.”
The raven haired boy flashed him a cheeky grin and then turned to the barman, “I’ll have what this man’s having, thanks.”
Two large glasses slid towards them but Jack doesn’t take one.
“What exactly do you want? Are you following me?”
The man spluttered into his drink, laughing a little hysterically.
“Do I really look like the stalker type? I was always told I looked like a dolt. Although when I saw you a couple of weeks back come back to life… I just had to talk to you.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, “Look, I know you’re interested, but I’d really rather not talk about it.” He stared off into the distance darkly, “It’s frankly none of your business. Stop following me, kid, and we’ll never talk of this again.”
He stood and walked out the door, leaving the poor big-eared sod to pay for the drinks.
*
1883
Four weeks later and it was 1883 and Jack was just coming back from the darkness of death. He felt the rush of air down his throat and the same shooting pain of before he died. Stupid stab wound. He really shouldn’t make enemies around here; it was never good.
There was a hand rubbing up and down his back and Jack jumped up suddenly. No one was ever there for him after he woke up.
He turned his head and was hardly surprised to see that skinny boy there, concern painted across his face.
He expression grew cold, “Will you stop it?”
The boy looked slightly hurt, “Someone should be with you when you come to life again,” he said carefully, eyes glancing up through his lashes to watch Jack’s incredulous expression, “That stab looked pretty painful.”
“Why are you following me?!” He snarled, grabbing the stranger by the shoulders and pushing him into the wall. If it had been a few years ago, before the Doctor and before Rose, he would’ve loved to be followed by someone so young and handsome, albeit slightly gawky. Jack had turned into a cold and angry man after he had been abandoned and given this stupid ‘gift’.
The boy slumped his shoulders as if he’s given up a fight and looked up to meet Jack’s eyes, “You can’t die.”
“I think we’ve gathered that, you idiot.”
A sad smile spread across his features for a few seconds, then he slumped again, “You can’t die.” He repeated, more forcefully, “And neither can I.”
*
This time Jack bought the drinks. He wanted to know everything. Every little detail of this stranger’s life. Never had Jack met someone like him before.
“Okay let’s start from the beginning,” Jack muttered, “I’m Captain Jack Harkness. Who’re you?”
“Merlin.” He extended a hand and Jack shook it. That goofy grin was back.
“Merlin the magician,” Jack mused, remembering the old tales of Camelot and King Arthur.
Merlin pulled back and shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, “That’s me. Merlin the magician. The idiot of Camelot. Manservant to Prince Arthur. Court Magician to King Arthur.” He turned to watch Jack’s expression again.
“You are shitting me.” Jack muttered, sitting back in his seat, “You’re not actually… him?”
“’fraid so, Captain.”
Jack remembered the pictures and drawings of Merlin, “But… aren’t you some old guy with a bear who looks like a paedophile?”
Merlin raised an eyebrow, “Funny how warped the legend gets as the years go on. I blame Geoffrey for that. I bet Arthur would have a good old laugh at the drawings of me. He’d probably be wetting himself.”
The ex-timeagent shook his head to try and think straight, “Hang on. Hang on, wait a minute… but I thought Merlin was like… a legend? Not actually real? I mean… magic can’t be real?”
The boy looked around to make sure no one was looking, and then focused on the glass in front of him. In a flash, Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and the glass started to levitate upwards. He quickly lowered it again, just in case someone had been watching, and turned to Jack.
“As you can see, that was totally real. No strings attached, literally.”
“Now I’ve seen everything. As soon as I get back to the Doctor, punch him in the face a few times, I am definitely going back in time to see Camelot.”
“Back in time?”
“We have a lot to discuss, Merlin.”
*
The two of them spent the whole evening talking of their past. Merlin skipped out a lot of his relationship with Arthur, but Jack could see past the lies. His eyes went sad and faraway when Merlin began to talk of the King, a recognisable look that Jack often saw in himself a lot of the time. However, Jack didn’t press for answers, as he knew from experience that it was a sore subject.
“-and so after a few years it was clear that I wasn’t aging. At first I thought it was brilliant, y’know? I will spend my life with Arthur and Camelot and we’ll be happy, but I didn’t think of after Arthur…” Merlin paused and swallowed, “…died.” He carried on, ignoring the look of pity on Jack’s face, “I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. Everyone I loved had died. The whole earth moved on while I stood still.”
Jack nodded. He knew exactly how Merlin felt.
“Through everything, I wouldn’t die. Fatal wounds would kill me and then I was brought back to life. I had to move across the world to make sure people wouldn’t notice that I wasn’t aging. It’s been hundreds of years, and I want to know why I’m like this.”
They were on their third pint and they had gotten through how Jack was immortal, explaining about the Doctor and the time travelling and the abandonment. He explained how he was from the 51st century and how aliens were real (after much convincing) and he had no idea why he was immortal.
“Legend has it,” Jack said, resting a head on his hand, “that when the country needs it, King Arthur will rise again. May just be a myth, but it’s something, isn’t it?”
Merlin nodded and sighed, “Might be a myth, but if he doesn’t come back I will personally drag him out of Avalon and kill him all over again.”
“That’s the spirit!”
By the end of the night, Merlin was laughing and Jack’s sombre mood had risen remarkably.
“Here’s a deal,” Merlin’s slurred voice rang into the winter night, “We meet up every few years or something and talk, yeah?”
“Cardiff?” Jack asked, trying to keep the very drunken man up.
“Yeah… yeah wh’rever.” He yawned and leaned on his shoulders, “See ya in twenny years or summet.”
Jack frowned as the boy suddenly disappeared and he fell to the cold ground.
*
1902
Jack sat at the same stool as he did twenty years ago and waited. And waited. And waited.
Merlin doesn’t come that cold January night.
*
1907
When Jack entered the pub he saw Merlin immediately. He was nursing a glass of ale and hardly looked up as Jack sat next to him.
“You’re a bastard of a liar,” Jack smirked as he ordered a pint, “You said twenty years. It’s been twenty-five yer know.”
Merlin shrugged and looked over and Jack, scrutinizing his appearance, “You’ve lost your sideburns.” He commented.
The ex-timeagent grinned at him and rested an elbow on the desk and put his head on his hand, watching Merlin, “Yeah well, I think people prefer me without the sideburns.” He leant closer, “What do you think of it?”
The boy jerked away and stared at him, “Are you… hitting on me?!”
Jack laughed, “I hit on anything, kid. You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve taken to bed before. Once there was a-“
“Shut up!” Merlin cried, covering his ears, “I don’t want to hear about your sex life!”
The pub quietened and heads turned to look at him. Merlin’s ears reddened in embarrassment and he turned away from the amused glances that were being shot at him. Jack gave out a loud laugh and patted the warlock on the shoulder.
“Smooth, Merlin. Real smooth.”
“Anyway,” Merlin continued, taking a deep breath, “What’s happened since 1883?”
Jack snorted, “Got a job.”
“We all get jobs.”
“I got a different job, I mean. I don’t think I should be telling you this, but apparently you’re an idiot so I trust you enough. It’s called Torchwood.”
“Torchwood?” Merlin asked sceptically.
Jack smiled, “It’s all about aliens and that shit. We catch aliens and lock them up or whatever. It’s a dangerous job. I don’t think you’d like it.”
“I wasn’t planning on joining, Jack.”
During the night they drink, Jack flirts shamelessly with Merlin and they talk of the past.
“So there we were, Arthur holding a spear in one hand and trying to stab at this beast with all these tentacles and there’s me on the opposite side of the lake chanting all these magical words. When Arthur found out that it was me who had killed the beast, Arthur was furious,” Merlin stops for effect, “Not because I was using magic against it, but because I stole his thunder!”
Jack laughed and shook his head, “I would’ve loved to meet this Arthur bloke. He sounds like a right laugh.”
For a moment Merlin’s eyes go all dreamy and Jack has to crack a joke just to break the atmosphere.
“I bet he would be up for a good ole threesome, eh?” Jack nudged Merlin with his elbow and Merlin hit him. Hard.
“Ooh that was out of order, magic boy! You’re just jealous that I can get a threesome and you can’t!”
Merlin smiled and his sad mood was broken once again.
1937
Jack wasn’t looking forward to the Second World War. He had already been there before and didn’t like to remember that that was the when he met the Doctor and Rose. He poured some whisky into a glass and drank it in one go, wincing at the sharp flavour.
“You’re drinking early, Harkness.” Came a voice and Jack turned to see Merlin take a seat next to him.
“Ah, magic boy. Just the person I want to talk to.”
“Why’s that then?” Merlin asked, pouring himself some whisky and gulping it down.
“I wanted to talk to you about how I managed to snag a threesome last week and I thought of you and our discussion last time.”
“I hope you weren’t thinking of me whilst you were doing it.”
Jack winked.
“So how’d you find the stupid son of a bitch war?” Merlin asked after a while, shuddering at the memory.
Jack shrugged, “I was expecting it. I’ve been to the future and I know exactly what will happen and when it will happen. It’s not a great life, but at least I know I’ll live through it. Anyway how did you cope? Go to fight?”
“Managed to use my magic to stop a bomb from detonating. Would’ve been messy if it had,” Merlin turned to him, “Will there be more wars like that? I mean, me and Arthur have been to loads of battles but…” Merlin swallowed, “Nothing like that before. Nothing so…”
“Gruesome?”
“It wasn’t fair play. They threw bombs down to innocent civilians when they should’ve been targeting the warriors. And…” Merlin cut off and shook his head, “I thought that the war was so bad that Arthur would…” He gulped back more whisky and didn’t finish his sentence, although Jack could guess the ending. Merlin had thought Arthur would come back to save them.
Jack put a supportive hand on the warlock and they sat in silence once again.
1962
When Jack saw Merlin, he was surprised at how much he’d changed. It wasn’t exactly his physical appearance, but Jack could see how tired he was. Bags hung dark like bruises underneath his eyes and his hair was ruffled and un-brushed. Merlin’s skin was grimy as if he hadn’t washed in years and his eyes were older than the rest of his body, carrying so much history in them.
Jack decided to take his normal approach, “You look shit.”
Merlin didn’t reply; just sat next to him and drunk himself into despair.
They hardly talked that night. There were a few remarks but nothing interesting. When Jack finally managed to ask what was wrong, Merlin just said one word.
“Arthur.”
“You really did love him, didn’t you?”
Merlin doesn’t reply, but looked up with watery eyes. Jack has always been bad at comforting, but he managed to envelope the lonely boy into his arms and let him cry. Jack knew that Merlin hadn’t cried since Arthur’s death, just by the ferocity of his racked sobs and the way he clung to Jack’s shirt, seeking the comfort he had needed for so long.
1984
Merlin looked much better when Jack saw him next. He didn’t look perfect, but he looked as if he’d pulled himself together.
“Don’t you just love the eighties, Merlin?” Jack grinned, looking at the retro style everyone was wearing. For Jack, he just wore his typical jacket which he loved so dearly, and his breeches that he seemed to never take off.
“They’re…” Merlin waved his arm around, “Different.”
They spoke very little. Jack loved the eighties. It hadn’t escaped his mind that in a few years Rose Tyler would be born. He promised himself that he would go to her estate and watch her growing up. He missed his Rosie so much that it hurt to think about her, just like the Doctor. One day he’ll see her again.
Merlin spoke with a chirp in his voice and Jack could see that he was truly happy at that moment. Of course, Merlin would never get over Arthur (they were one side of a different coin or something…) but at least he could enjoy himself while he awaited his return.
2009
So much had happened since Jack last saw Merlin. For one; he was now in charge of Torchwood three and had recruited new people (among them the very handsome Ianto Jones…). Two years ago he had first met the Doctor again. He somehow wished he hadn’t, considering the Master had tortured him for an entire year, although he did meet Martha Jones, but was heartbroken that Rose was in a parallel universe.
But then last year Rose had returned. The Doctor had gotten yet another new companion and the whole Earth had shifted. He wondered what Merlin would think about all this information he was bursting to tell him.
But Merlin didn’t arrive. Jack waited for hours for his immortal drinking buddy, but no one arrived.
2015
It became clear to Jack when he was waiting in the pub again for Merlin that Arthur had come for him. Jack tried to think nothing of it and return to his work in Torchwood.
2019
Jack saw Merlin for the final time in the Roald Dahl Plass on a bright summer afternoon. He was with a blond man, whom Jack presumed was Arthur. They had their arms linked and were both smiling like goons. He could hear the kind insults of “You’re such a prat!”to “And you’re an idiot!” and Jack smiled to himself.
Merlin’s face had definitely changed since he last saw him. He had lines etched into his forehead and was more… masculine… than before. It was obvious that Merlin had begun to age as soon as Arthur had come back.
It hurt to think that his drinking buddy was no longer immortal like him, but he was happy for Merlin. He didn’t have to live his life drowned in loneliness and longing anymore. He had Arthur, who he could love and be loved in return.
At least someone got a happy ending.